Lindsey and Lucy Vonn becoming the darlings of 2018 Winter Olympics

Profile on Winter Olympics skier Lindsey Vonn, who hopes to bring home some more medals for Team USA.

USA TODAY Sports

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — Lindsey and Lucy may soon rival figure skating pairs here as the darlings of the 2018 Winter Games.

That would be Lindsey Vonn, the American ski racing star, and her sidekick, Lucy, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. The speed queen and her dog showed up Friday for Vonn’s first news conference.

Vonn said she got the dog two years ago to help cope with loneliness she said has experienced since her divorce in 2011 after a four-year marriage to Thomas Vonn.

“It’s extremely lonely on the road and since I got divorced,’’ Vonn said. “I had a lot of free time on my hands at night. And being in a hotel room is oftentimes, yeah, it’s just extremely difficult.

“So I got Lucy to travel with me everywhere. I was questioning whether I was going to bring her here because it was a long trip. But she’s always with me, so I figured I need her with me for the most important event.’'

Vonn will be looking to add to her Olympic medal haul, which includes a gold in the downhill and a bronze in the Super-G at the 2010 Vancouver Games. And training has included time with her four-legged pal.

As photographers got into position to take a photo of Lucy during the press conference, Vonn said, “Lucy’s definitely a bigger star than me.’’

Yet it was after the news conference ended and when Vonn scooped up Lucy into her arms that the photographers snapped photos that it became clear — Lindsey and Lucy could be the power couple of the 2018 Games.